Project Bar Anne
Salone del Mobile, Milan – 2018
In the midst of Milan’s design mania, Beyond Space broke the mold with Bar Anne — a rebellious, joyfully uncurated antidote to the polished perfection of the fair. Housed in a grand palazzo just off the beaten path, Bar Anne offered a bold alternative: not a showroom, but a home; not a brand pitch, but a living, breathing celebration of Dutch design.
Curated and co-created by Beyond Space together with an adventurous group of designers and collaborators, Bar Anne reimagined what a design event could be. Visitors wandered barefoot through salons and bedrooms, drinks in hand, encountering furniture in use rather than on display. There were no signs. No velvet ropes. Just good light, great company, and surprising work in every corner.
One of the highlights was an immersive light installation, created in collaboration with Children of the Light — a hypnotic spatial experience that captivated visitors and became a visual anchor of the event. By playing with perception and atmosphere, we made light itself the medium of connection.
Bar Anne wasn’t just an exhibition — it was a week-long happening. DJs, dinners, and impromptu talks turned the house into a social stage, where ideas moved faster than schedules. The press called it “refreshingly unprofessional.” We took that as a compliment.
For us at Beyond Space, Bar Anne was a manifesto in disguise: a declaration that design is more than objects — it's experience, behavior, and the stories we build around space.
In the midst of Milan’s design mania, Beyond Space broke the mold with Bar Anne — a rebellious, joyfully uncurated antidote to the polished perfection of the fair. Housed in a grand palazzo just off the beaten path, Bar Anne offered a bold alternative: not a showroom, but a home; not a brand pitch, but a living, breathing celebration of Dutch design.
Curated and co-created by Beyond Space together with an adventurous group of designers and collaborators, Bar Anne reimagined what a design event could be. Visitors wandered barefoot through salons and bedrooms, drinks in hand, encountering furniture in use rather than on display. There were no signs. No velvet ropes. Just good light, great company, and surprising work in every corner.
One of the highlights was an immersive light installation, created in collaboration with Children of the Light — a hypnotic spatial experience that captivated visitors and became a visual anchor of the event. By playing with perception and atmosphere, we made light itself the medium of connection.
Bar Anne wasn’t just an exhibition — it was a week-long happening. DJs, dinners, and impromptu talks turned the house into a social stage, where ideas moved faster than schedules. The press called it “refreshingly unprofessional.” We took that as a compliment.
For us at Beyond Space, Bar Anne was a manifesto in disguise: a declaration that design is more than objects — it's experience, behavior, and the stories we build around space.
Location Milan, Italy
Program Exhibition Space, Bar
Client Anne van der Zwaag
Status Completed in 2018